When I am on a photo-shoot, I try to go out well before breakfast to take advantage of the early light. It produces striking contrasts, making ordinary subjects appear in extraordinary ways. It also paints subjects in a rich golden color, adding a wealth of meaning in the process. This image is a good example of both contrast and color. Light and shadow alternate both horizontally and vertically here, producing depth perception and a timeless quality. The golden wall at left provides contrast for the seated shadowy figure of a turbaned man seated motionless at left. He is seeking alms, and finds none. The morning sun illuminates half of the red gate at center – it is locked shut, symbolically echoing the poverty of the alms-seeker. (A few minutes later, another character entered the frame, and offered me an opportunity to tell an entirely different story within the same space and in the same light. See http://www.pbase.com/image/106455377 )